How Art and Play Support your Child’s Development

Even for adults, experiencing new things brings joy and intrigue, so imagine what it is like for a child who is just starting to explore. Playing and art are not only fun, but are essential contributions to their development of reading, decision making, and overall cognitive function. It is also essential for parents to partake in their child’s art and play journey by providing nurture, brain nutrients, nutrition alternatives (eg. Similac Gain) and by any other means possible.^{1, 5}   

How will it help my child’s literacy?

When children play, they begin to associate certain sounds to objects, attach images to words, and later use those associations to express themselves. A child’s actions always have some sort of expression or play in them, and with some help adding more words and art will widen their memory and recall to express through art or action or stimulate their speech development.^{1, 2}

Will it help my child’s decision-making skills?

When you give your child multiple tools, colors, and toys, your child will be able to tell you what they like and not what you think they should like. Be open minded and focus on the process, not the product for your child on using items for a purpose it was not intended for. For example, if your child uses a stick as a pencil, but no marks are made and it breaks, provide them with a crayon or an actual pencil. They will then see how it is easier to use and will learn to see you as a source of help also.^{1, 3}

How does it help my child’s cognitive development?

While your child is playing, they will use motor skills, speech, hearing, eyes, and other senses to test their limits. It will then later be integrated into their core memory and applied anywhere else they see fit. They will also learn causes, effects, and be able to use their planning skills when they try to express. You can help stimulate their minds by asking them to draw something they have seen before or have them express an activity they did through art.^{1, 2, 3}

Why will key nutrients best support my child?

Snack time is one of your child’s favorite times of the day, so provide them with nutritious choices. Fatty acids (Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), Linoleic acid, eg. cauliflower, cheese, rice) are required for the brain to grow, giving it strength to learn and store information. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine, eg. coconut, chocolate, nuts) will help turn food into energy for the brain, thus supporting your child’s cognitive functions. Vitamin C & E (eg. avocado, multigrain, citrus fruits) are antioxidants and they prevent inflammation and stress, while giving it the ability to go on longer through tough mental processes. Since supporting a child’s mind is important through their early years, sometimes real food alone may not be enough. That is why child nutritional supplements like Similac Gain, through many years of research, have developed an exclusive EyeQ Plus™ nutrition system to deliver the best brain nutrients possible. With no palm oil and made with healthy vegetable fat, not only will your child’s brain be well nourished, they will have a comfortable gut to continue to create art, learn, and grow up happy.^{1, 4, 5} 

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References:

1. https://simmom.in/feediq/power-of-play-in-child-brain-stimulation-techniques
2. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/the_art_of_creating_why_art_is_important_for_early_childhood_development
3. https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/five-essentials-meaningful-play
4. https://www.thelunchmob.co/8-brain-food-snacks-to-boost-your-kids-memory/
5. https://abbottfamily.com.sg/products/page/similac-2-fl-stage4